If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

The Muscle and Brawn Forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Muscle and Brawn community stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

The setup is very similar to a deadlift, first and foremost because you are starting from the bottom up, as opposed to the "top down" like a squat.

You need to get your feet in a comfortable position, with a natural width. Toes should be pointed along the same line that follows the line down the middle of your thigh (to your knee) as you bend to grab the bar.

Grab the bar, and sink the hips to about this angle:

Make sure your arms are locked. Flexing the triceps can help.

From here, don't think about pulling the bar off the ground. Think about standing up. Standing is a natural movement, and will help prevent your hips from lifting up as you pull. Once the bar is about knee height (give or take) concentrate of pushing your hips forward. This will help you lockout, as the hips and glutes are STRONG muscles.

Make sure your head isn't looking down while you pull. The body's balance, and deadlift form, are impacted greatly (negatively) by lifting with the head down. The body follows the head, so to speak. As you stand to lift the weight, lift your head up.

Ab, you will definitely feel it more in the lower back and you will work the glutes quite hard to as the hip drive through the bar to complete the move uses these muscles. With a db squat your torso would be more upright and as Steve pointed out you are starting from the top down.

With the torso at about 45 degrees, your back will become heavily involved, with the squat the back stays in the same position through the entire movement. With the deadlift or Trap bar deadlift the back moves through 45 degrees which engages all the muscles in it.